Document of
The World Bank
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Report No: PP5008
INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT AND/OR
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION
PROJECT PAPER
ON A
PROPOSED GRANT FROM
THE GLOBAL EVALUATION INITIATIVE MULTI-DONOR TRUST FUND
IN THE AMOUNT OF
US$ 1.36 MILLION
FROM
GLOBAL EVALUATION INITIATIVE MULTI-DONOR TRUST FUND
TO THE
CENTER FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH AND POLICY (CERP) IN PAKISTAN
FOR A
MONITORING AND EVALUATION CAPACITY BUILDING IN PAKISTAN AND CENTRAL ASIA
June 24, 2022
INDEPENDENT EVALUATION GROUP
GLOBAL
CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS
(Exchange Rate Effective June 24, 2022)
Currency Unit = US$
PKR 208.70 = US$1
FISCAL YEAR
July 1 - June 30
Global Director: Brenda Barbour
Practice Manager: Dugan Ian Fraser
Task Team Leader(s): Fabio Pittaluga
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
ADM
AKDN
BCURE
CARs
CELCEP
CEO
CERP
CFO
CLEAR
COVID-19
CPF
CSA
E&S
EBPD
ECD
ECO
EPoD
ESF
FY
GEI
GRID
GRS
HDI
HKS
HM
ICRAF
IDA
IEG
IEO
IFMR
JEC
J-PAL
M&E
MDTF
MERL
MESA
MIS
MMS
MOU
NES
NGO
NSPP
P&DD
Accountability and Decision Making
Agha Khan Development Network
Building Capacity to Use Research Evidence
Central Asian Republics
China Prosperity Fund for Energy and Low Carbon Economy Programme
Chief Executive Officer
Center for Economic Research and Policy in Pakistan
Chief Financial Officer
Centre for Learning on Evaluation and Results
Coronavirus
Country Partnership Framework
Civil Services Academy
Environmental and Social
Evidence Based Program Design
Evaluation Capacity Development
Economic Cooperation Organization
Evidence for Policy Design
Environmental and Social Framework
Fiscal Year
Global Evaluation Initiative
Green, Resilient, and Inclusive Development
Grievance Redress Service
Human Development Index
Harvard Kennedy School of Government
Her Majesty
International Council for Research in Agroforestry
International Development Association
Independent Evaluation Group
Independent Evaluation Office (of the UNDP)
Institute for Financial Management and Research
Joint Economic Commission
Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab
Monitoring and Evaluation
Multi-Donor Trust Fund
Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning
Monitoring and Evaluation Systems Analysis
Management Information System
Multiple MicroNutrient Supplements
Memorandum of Understanding
National Evaluation Systems
Nongovernmental Organization
National School of Public Policy
Planning & Development Department
PCSW
PDO
PM
PSDF
RAND
RBPD
SCO
SDGs
SKMAR
TA
TADA
TMR
UCA
UNDP
UNICEF
USD
VOPE
WBG
Punjab Commission on the Status of Women
Project Development Objective
Practice Manager
Punjab Skills Development Fund
Research and Development
Results Based Policy Design
Shanghai Cooperation Organization
Sustainable Development Goals
Strategic Knowledge Management and Applied Research
Technical Assistance
Traveling Allowance And Dearness Allowance
Training Management Research
University of Central Asia
United Nations Development Program
United Nations Children's Fund
United States Dollar
Voluntary Organizations for Professional Evaluation
World Bank Group
The World Bank
Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
Note to Task Teams: The following sections are system generated and can only be edited online in the Portal.
BASIC INFORMATION
Is this a regionally tagged project?
Country (ies)
No
Financing Instrument
Classification
Investment Project Financing
Small Grants
Approval Date
Closing Date
Environmental and Social Risk Classification
30-Jun-2022
29-May-2025
Low
Approval Authority
Bank/IFC Collaboration
GDD
No
Please Explain
Proposed Development Objective(s)
The project will improve monitoring and evaluation frameworks, capacity, and use in Pakistan and Central Asia. In
doing so, the project will seek to build partnerships with existing Evaluation Capacity Development (ECD) providers
to generate synergies.
This project aims to contribute to the higher-level development of the objective of the GEI, namely, to improve
monitoring and evaluation frameworks, capacity, and use in supported developing countries for improved evidenceinformed policy making.
Components
Component Name
Strengthening M&E Systems (at the enabling environment and organizational levels) in
Pakistan & Central Asia
Cost (USD Million)
Building a critical mass of M&E professionals (of individuals and within organizations)
0.61
Contributing to the availability and use of knowledge on M&E and capacity building for
M&E
0.25
0.28
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The World Bank
Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
Establishing CERP as a GEI Affiliate and partner center to CLEAR SA
0.16
Organizations
Borrower :
Center for Economic Research and Policy (CERP) in Pakistan
Implementing Agency :
Center for Economic Research and Policy (CERP) in Pakistan
PROJECT FINANCING DATA (US$, Millions)
SUMMARY-NewFin1
Total Project Cost
1.36
Total Financing
0.75
Financing Gap
0.61
DETAILS
-NewFinEnh1
Non-World Bank Group Financing
Trust Funds
0.75
0.75
Global Evaluation Initiative Multi-Donor Trust Fund
Expected Disbursements (in USD Million)
Fiscal
Year
2022
2023
2024
2025
Annu
al
0.15
0.25
0.35
0.00
Cumu
lative
0.15
0.40
0.75
0.75
INSTITUTIONAL DATA
Financing & Implementation Modalities
Situations of Urgent Need of Assistance or Capacity Constraints
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The World Bank
Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
[✔] Fragile State(s)
[ ] Fragile within a
non-fragile Country
[ ] Small State(s)
[✔] Conflict
[ ] Responding to
Natural or Man-made
Disaster
Other Situations
[ ] Financial Intermediaries (FI)
[ ] Series of Projects (SOP)
[ ] Performance-Based Conditions (PBCs)
[ ] Contingent Emergency Response Component (CERC)
[ ] Alternative Procurement Arrangements (APA)
[ ] Hands-on Expanded Implementation Support (HEIS)
Contributing Practice Areas
OVERALL RISK RATING
Risk Category
Rating
Overall
Low
COMPLIANCE
Policy
Does the project depart from the CPF in content or in other significant respects?
[ ] Yes
[✔] No
Does the project require any waivers of Bank policies?
[ ] Yes
[✔] No
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The World Bank
Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
Environmental and Social Standards Relevance Given its Context at the Time of Appraisal
E & S Standards
Relevance
Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts
Relevant
Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure
Relevant
Labor and Working Conditions
Relevant
Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and Management
Not Currently Relevant
Community Health and Safety
Relevant
Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement
Not Currently Relevant
Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural
Resources
Not Currently Relevant
Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional
Local Communities
Not Currently Relevant
Cultural Heritage
Not Currently Relevant
Financial Intermediaries
Not Currently Relevant
Legal Covenants
Conditions
PROJECT TEAM
Bank Staff
Name
Fabio Pittaluga
Blandine Marie Wu Chebili
Atul B. Deshpande
Role
Team Leader(ADM
Responsible)
Procurement Specialist(ADM
Responsible)
Financial Management
Specialist(ADM Responsible)
Specialization
Unit
SLCSO
EGVPA
EGVPF
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The World Bank
Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
Chaohua Zhang
Xiaoxin Shi
Social Specialist(ADM
Responsible)
Environmental Specialist(ADM
Responsible)
OPSIS
OPSEF
Angela Nyawira Khaminwa
Safeguards Advisor/ESSA
LCROS
Dugan Ian Fraser
Program Manager
IEGCD
Escarlata Baza Nunez
Counsel
LEGDF
Janardhanan Ramanujam
Team Member
WFACS
Ketevan Nozadze
Team Member
IEGCD
Shaha Zehra
Team Member
IEGCD
Vivian Nwachukwu-Irondi
Counsel
LEGDF
Maria Gonzalez de Asis
E&S Primary PM
SLCSO
Extended Team
Name
Title
Organization
Location
Note to Task Teams: End of system generated content, document is editable from here.
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The World Bank
Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
WORLD
MONITORING AND EVALUATION CAPACITY BUILDING IN PAKISTAN AND CENTRAL ASIA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
STRATEGIC CONTEXT ...................................................................................................... 7
A. Country Context .................................................................................................................. 7
B. Sectoral and Institutional Context ...................................................................................... 9
C. Higher Level Objectives to which the Project Contributes ............................................... 12
II.
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES ............................................................................ 13
A. PDO.................................................................................................................................... 13
B. Project Beneficiaries.......................................................................................................... 13
C. PDO-Level Results Indicators............................................................................................. 14
III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION.................................................................................................. 15
A. Project Components.......................................................................................................... 15
B. Project Cost and Financing ................................................................................................ 19
IV. IMPLEMENTATION........................................................................................................ 20
A. Institutional and Implementation Arrangements ............................................................. 20
B. Results Monitoring and Evaluation ................................................................................... 20
C. Sustainability ..................................................................................................................... 21
V. KEY RISKS ..................................................................................................................... 22
A. Overall Risk Rating and Explanation of Key Risks.............................................................. 22
VI. APPRAISAL SUMMARY .................................................................................................. 22
A. Legal Operational Policies ................................................................................................. 24
B. Environmental and Social .................................................................................................. 24
VII. WORLD BANK GRIEVANCE REDRESS .............................................................................. 25
VII. RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND MONITORING .................................................................... 26
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The World Bank
Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
I. STRATEGIC CONTEXT
Note to Task Teams: Formatting instructions for this document.
A. Header
1. [All sub-sections must have a continuous paragraph numbering for the entire main text or for each annex per
institutional standard.]
(a) This is the sub-para numbering for this level. This is the sub-para numbering for this level. This is the
sub-para numbering for this level.
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A. Country Context
1. Pakistan’s socio-economic outlooks are challenging in the face of economic recessions, weak institutions,
climate risks, and the repercussions of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) pandemic. Pakistan is the 5th most
populous country in the world, with a population of 221 million people. The country’s economy has been
growing slowly over the past two decades, with an annual per capita growth rate of approximately 2 percent,
less than half the average for the South Asian region1. Pakistan’s cumulative Human Development Index (HDI)
is the second lowest in all of South Asia, with stark levels of inequality in education, health and income2.
Pakistan is one of the world’s youngest countries and even though the Youth Development Index over time
has slowly improved, it has recently worsened for some key indicators on youth’s participation in the formal
job market. Outcomes for labor force participation are much worse for females and this is also evidenced by
Pakistan’s low ranking (133rd) on the Gender Inequality Index3.
2. The post-pandemic recovery period requires well targeted policies and evidence-based decision-making.
This will need to be matched by an increased country capacity to systematically monitor projects and
programs for course-correction, adapt to new realities, and evaluate and learn from past actions to ensure
impact. The government of Pakistan will need relevant data to plan, allocate resources, and track progress of
effective development policies to be able to build back better. Data will also be critical to improve the
Government of Pakistan’s ability to measure the impact of policies implemented and adjust them on the basis
1 https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/pakistan/overview
2 https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/816040-human-development-report-2020-massive-income-inequality-among-rich-and-
poor
3 https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/pakistan/overview, https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/816040-humandevelopment-report-2020-massive-income-inequality-among-rich-and-poor
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The World Bank
Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
of evidence.
3. The Government of Pakistan has made significant strides towards the establishment of Monitoring &
Evaluation (M&E) systems and policies. The Prime Minister and other high-level officials have publicly
stressed the importance of timely, accurate and reliable data which can be used for evidence-based design,
planning, and evaluation of national policies4, especially considering Covid-19. The Planning Commission is
implementing an M&E framework for the National Action Plan, with specific outcome-level indicators to track
progress and impact. However, despite the high-level commitment to improve M&E systems, implementation
continues to lag. At present, according to the Planning Commission there is no concrete national Monitoring
& Evaluation Framework, and even for Public Sector Development Programs, the government allocates a mere
0.007% of the total budget to strengthen M&E cells at federal level.
4. In Pakistan, M&E systems and policies are at an early stage of development and require significant support.
National and sub-national M&E systems often operate on a sub-optimal basis due to lack of funds, qualified
staff, strong and independent mandates, as well as inadequate frameworks, processes, and policies. Some of
the key challenges are that even though the government routinely collects a lot of data on development
programs, there is a dearth of a structured and rigorous M&E approach to help use that data for decision
making. There is a clear need to better diagnose M&E gaps and opportunities in policy making, build strategic
and sustainable partnerships to support government demand in strengthening national M&E systems,
capacitate local and young M&E professionals, inform evaluations about gender and sustainable environment
impact, and contribute to building an evidence-based policymaking culture.
5. The Government of Pakistan has expressed an increasing demand for Evaluation Capacity Development
(ECD) services, including support with technical advisory services, specialized M&E trainings, and knowledge
services. These demands were articulated during the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI) launch event in South
Asia5, where high-level delegates from Pakistan called for stronger partnerships and more coordinated efforts
to quickly address the continuing M&E capacity gap.
6. Gradually and in later stages of this grant, CERP through EvalPCA will explore the possibility to expand its
operations in Central Asian countries. Pakistan and its neighboring Central Asian countries have strong
cultural, religious, and historical linkages while also facing similar economic threats. Over the years the Central
Asian Republics (CARs) and Pakistan have made efforts to improve economic relations such as formation of
the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), Joint Economic Commission (JEC) and Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO). In parallel, Pakistan and CAR governments have also been improving people to people
contact through educational exchange programs, government sponsored technical assistance, and through
ongoing work of charitable organizations such as the Agha Khan Development Network (AKDN). As a result,
there are existing educational networks of faculty and students between Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and
Kazakhstan. These favorable socio-political and economic ties between Pakistan and CARs, can be leveraged
to explore possible regional synergies for ECD programs and services.
7. EvalPCA will work with CLEAR South Asia to ensure collaboration in other countries in the South Asia region
as well as a coordinated approach to regional activities and knowledge sharing. While EvalPCA will focus
4 https://www.pc.gov.pk/web/press/get_press/334
5 On January 20, 2021 GEI with CLEAR South Asia hosted an online launch event, Evidence and the road to 2030.
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The World Bank
Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
predominantly on Pakistan and, over time, expand into Central Asia, there will be opportunities to collaborate
with CLEAR South Asia in supporting activities in other countries in the region, e.g., Bangladesh and Nepal. To
avoid duplication of efforts, the two grantees will agree on a collaborative approach subscribed by both. The
approach covers modalities of collaboration, efforts to share and disseminate knowledge products, and a
shared regional strategy. The approach will be consolidated into an MOU that will be signed between the two
grantees.
B. Sectoral and Institutional Context
8. Over the last decade, the Centers for Learning on Evaluation and Results (CLEAR) Initiative6 has successfully
supported ECD awareness raising efforts in South Asia in partnership with local academics. The CLEAR
Initiative is a donor-funded multi-country initiative established in 2010 under the World Bank’s Independent
Evaluation Group (IEG) to build M&E capacities globally. In 2010, the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab,
South Asia (J-PAL SA) at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) in New Delhi, India was
selected to host CLEAR SA, while the Center for Economic Research Pakistan (CERP) was selected as a CLEAR
South Asia affiliate center in 2011. Both the center in India and its affiliate in Pakistan were selected on a
competitive basis. CERP initially received funding through IFMR/JPAL under which the broader recipient
executed small grants administered by CLEAR. However, in 2015 a direct contract between IEG and CERP
replaced the earlier grant arrangement.7 CERP will be a grantee and transition to an independent entity with
an affiliation directly to the GEI.
9. As a CLEAR affiliate, CERP has delivered critical M&E training, forged partnerships with government
institutions, and provided technical advisory services to build local ECD capacity in Pakistan. This decadelong effort has helped CERP to build credibility and relationships with civil servants and senior officials in
different ministries, paving the way to scale up the work, with a more focused approach towards capacity
building. CERP developed a number of flagship training programs, reaching approximately 5000 individuals,
and developed partnerships by signing long term Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with government
agencies such as the National School of Public Policy (NSPP), Civil Services Academy (CSA), Planning &
Development Department (P&DD) Sindh, Training Management Research Wing (TMR), Sindh Government, and
the Federal Ministry of Energy. CERP has also signed a long-term MoU with an international partner in the
Central Asia region, i.e., the University of Central Asia, which operates in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and
Tajikistan). Establishing such collaborative partnerships will support CERP’s work under GEI. Additionally, over
the past few years, CERP has also worked with over six public and private sector organizations co-developing
M&E systems and indicators to improve their service delivery and measure value for money. This includes
CERP’s work with one of the largest low-cost school systems in Pakistan serving over 700,000 children to
improve their M&E practices (including measurement of student outcomes) by identifying gaps, developing
indicators and a plan to reliably collect data, developed an evaluation system using existing usable data and
built dashboards for tracking of indicators for data driven decision making. In another project, the CERP team
6 CLEAR is a global monitoring and evaluation (M&E) capacity development program, supported by a multi-donor trust fund at
the World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group (IEG). The trust fund ends in January 2022
7 Due to escalating political tensions between India and Pakistan, in 2015, it was determined, and in consultation with the
Financial Management and Procurement teams in the World Bank Office in Delhi, that the administrative burdens of
transferring money were sufficiently onerous that a contract directly between IEG and CERP would replace the grant
arrangement that had previously been put in place.
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The World Bank
Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
co-developed an M&E framework for EdTech startups in Pakistan so the impact and value of their
interventions can be reliably measured and demonstrated to their customers, the government, and private
investors.
10. In FY21 the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) launched the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI), a
partnership that wants to catalyze and bring together actors in the evaluation field and help developing
countries place evidence at the heart of decision-making. GEI is an inclusive global partnership committed
to country-owned, sustainable M&E frameworks and capacities to promote the use of evidence in public
decision-making, enhance accountability, and achieve better development results. GEI recognizes
strengthened M&E systems and capacities as a public good that will enable better policies and improve lives
(see Annex 3). CERP is one of the implementation partners of GEI and is fully committed to GEI’s core values
of sustainability, cultural responsiveness, innovation, country ownership, collaboration, inclusion, and
excellence, as well as its focus on supporting global M&E public goods.
Box 1. The Global Evaluation Initiative
The Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI) is a partnership centered on the vision that better evidence
contributes to better policies, and ultimately to better lives. GEI expects to be a catalyzer, bringing together
key actors and experts in the evaluation field to help governments in developing countries place evidence at
the heart of decision making. GEI intends to act as a broker, helping developing countries find solutions and
financing for their country M&E systems and capacity development, building on their strengths and
endogenous knowledge, and leveraging the best available local, regional, and global knowledge. GEI
anticipates playing a critical role in fostering M&E knowledge generation and sharing it globally and locally,
so that M&E knowledge generated in one country in the world is made available to others as relevant for
greater learning and effectiveness.
GEI’s partners will support Evaluation Capacity Development (ECD) in developing countries, fostering
evidence-informed decision-making through enhanced M&E frameworks, capacity, and use. GEI’s central
aim is to strengthen the M&E frameworks and capacities of governments and other stakeholders in
developing countries and the use of M&E evidence by these stakeholders, by establishing a global
partnership of ECD providers and experts supported by a hybrid Trust Fund. GEI will support individuals,
governments, and other organizations where there is a market failure in terms of the supply of, or demand
for, ECD services (e.g., ECD service providers are unavailable or inadequately meeting market demands).
Through GEI, more countries will be able to establish and use M&E systems as well as conduct and use
evaluations to inform organizational learning, accountability, and decision-making. This will contribute to
more relevant and effective policy interventions, better responses to shocks, and ultimately progress
towards national development goals and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
GEI will partner with key ECD players around the world and coordinate with them to achieve its strategic
priorities and outcomes. Partnerships will focus on leveraging entities’ areas of strength and comparative
advantage. For instance, partners such as the regional Centers for Learning on Evaluation and Results (CLEAR
Initiative) will leverage their strengths in providing technical assistance to strengthen M&E systems in
developing countries.
11. This grant will allow CERP to address the unmet ECD needs in Pakistan and Central Asia by establishing a
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The World Bank
Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
dedicated project called EvalPCA to strengthen their M&E systems. CERP through EvalPCA will support
governments in the region in developing the necessary tools, frameworks, systems, capacities, and processes
to monitor and evaluate the performance of national development strategies and programs. With this grant,
CERP through EvalPCA will continue to work with national and sub-national governments and public
institutions on a longer-term program to strengthen organizational M&E systems and capacities and support
building better institutions and policies as articulated in UNDP’s Sustainable Development Goal-16(SDG16).
CERP through EvalPCA will also strengthen local partnerships with local ECD providers to better coordinate
and complement ECD activities in the region (SDG17). CERP has entered into a long-term Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the University of Central Asia (UCA) (which has campuses in Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan and Tajikistan) to provide capacity building services to clients in those countries. The mission of
UCA is to promote Central Asia social and economic development, with a particular focus on strengthening
public policy formulation and implementation and improve governments and civil society’s capacity to use
evidence in decision-making processes. UCA will be a strategic partner for EvalPCA to gradually expand its
operations in Central Asia.
12. CERP through EvalPCA will strive to streamline GEI thematic areas of focus throughout its work program,
i.e., gender and inclusion, climate change, youth, and fragility. CERP through EvalPCA will contribute to M&E
studies and trainings on SDG-related themes. The center will promote gender-responsive and environmental
footprint methodologies in its M&E diagnostics, trainings, and services, and will encourage the
professionalization of young evaluators through research and fellowship opportunities. These themes are
priorities for GEI and also respond well to the regional challenges. In the status quo, CERP is already
consciously supporting organizations, whose primary focus is working towards gender inclusivity & climate
change mitigation, in building M&E capacity for their staff.
13. EvalPCA will leverage CERP’s existing network and portfolio of projects which focuses on gender inclusion,
equity, and climate change. CERP has worked on improving women’s mobility and workforce participation
(rural and urban) with the Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) and Punjab Commission on the status for
women (PCSW). CERP is set to formalize a collaboration with the Research and Development Corporation
(RAND Corporation) in the next year or so to collaborate on a series of enriching research dialogue through
workshops which will aim to synthesize work from experts across the globe on topics of gender equity to help
advance rigorous research and present these to policy makers (through workshops) and dissemination of
knowledge products (e.g., working papers). As part of this initiative, CERP through EvalPCA and RAND are
exploring collaborations on gender equity issues related to maternal and child healthcare, such as the effect
of breastfeeding practices on maternal and infant health outcomes, introduction of Multiple MicroNutrient
Supplements (MMS) as critical antenatal multivitamins for mothers, and mothers' postnatal mental health. In
its most recent Evidence Based Program Design (EBPD) workshop, CERP trained individuals who work within
organizations (private and/or from the non-profit sector) whose core mandate focuses on climate change and
gender empowerment. As an example, the EBPD 2021 focused on issues such as disposal of hospital waste,
impact of deforestation on forest-dependent communities, and the effect of financial exclusion on women in
rural areas.
14. CERP has also been actively working towards initiating and participating in projects concerning climate
change in South Asia. CERP can use its work with the following organizations to contribute to M&E studies
and trainings to improve impact evaluations for climate change outcomes: CERP in partnership with the World
Bank and International Council for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), will be leading a regional consortium
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The World Bank
Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
comprising of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Bhutan to host research and policy work done by Climate
Scientists and Agriculture Economists on Agroforestry and Regenerative Agriculture. Dr. Ghazala Mansuri
(World Bank; CERP Fellow), who will be authoring the Climate Change Report of May 2022, will be leading the
research on this which aims to inform policy on climate mitigation & resilience. The consortium will also focus
on the Asian Brown Cloud phenomena to discuss evidence-based concrete policy recommendations at the
regional level to help address this major climate change challenge. CERP has also been working on a regional
dialogue to help address a pressing climate change issue in South Asia: air pollution. Previously, CERP has also
worked with ICRAF's India and Nepal team to develop a concept note around a series of webinars/conferences
about air pollution and climate change in South Asia. CERP has also successfully signed a long-term MoU with
the Federal Ministry of Energy in October 2021, to further its mission to mitigate the climate change crisis by
offering advisory, analytical, and capacity building support to the most critical policy making body in the
energy sector in Pakistan.
C. Higher Level Objectives to which the Project Contributes
15. Priorities. The World Bank Group’s strategic priorities and commitments set out in the Forward Look, Capital
Increase Policy Package, IDA replenishment documents, and IFC 3.0 strategy demonstrate the level of
ambition needed to reach the WBG’s twin goals and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. M&E has an
important role to play in monitoring progress towards these goals, enhancing good governance, transparency,
and accountability in client countries, thus ultimately contributing to better development outcomes. As an
implementing partner of GEI focused on developing and improving the M&E capabilities of key stakeholders
in developing countries, CERP through EvalPCA will contribute to helping the WBG in Pakistan and Central Asia
to enhance their effectiveness in meeting such strategic priorities.
16. COVID-19 and Country Outcomes. In 2005, the WBG rolled out results-based management at the country
level and, in 2021, it continues to build on this experience to strengthen outcome orientation. CERP through
EvalPCA will contribute to GEI’s support to the WBG outcome orientation agenda by building a cadre of
professionals in Pakistan who are trained in monitoring, evaluation, learning, and adaptive management
practices. Such skills will enable countries to monitor the success of policies and investments to address the
impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a substantial impact on growth, job creation and inequality,
risking a regression of the development gains obtained over the last few decades and pushing many people
into extreme poverty. Ensuring that solid M&E systems are in place will not only be an essential tool for the
Government of Pakistan to define effective policies to mitigate the short-term impacts of the pandemic but
will also constitute a bedrock for the reforms that will create the conditions for economic recovery as
illustrated in the Green, Resilient, and Inclusive Development (GRID) strategy that the Bank approved in 2021.
Stronger systems must be in place to monitor progress and learn from past experiences and M&E capacity
and resources sit at the heart of this. As such, EvalPCA’s work to strengthen M&E systems contributes directly
to enabling countries to recover from the pandemic’s negative consequences and to build back better.
17. The grant is well aligned with the World Bank Group’s South Asia Regional Strategy 8 which considers
governance and accountable institutions as essential elements to develop human capital, promote sustainable
8 Realizing South Asia Region’s Potential by Investing in People and Enhancing Resilience, South Asia Region Update to the
Board 2019
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Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
and inclusive growth, and strengthen resilience. Continued progress towards these goals is critical for the
region to achieve the SDGs, end extreme poverty, and boost shared prosperity. The regional strategy
highlights the Bank’s focus on promoting good governance and accountability, as well as investing in
strengthening public institutions for more effective and efficient service delivery. CERP through EvalPCA will
directly contribute to these priorities by working with national and sub-national governments to strengthen
M&E systems and capacities. Furthermore, the regional strategy highlights growing gender inequalities in
South Asia (labor force participation, health, gender-based violence, etc.) as well as the region’s vulnerability
to climate impacts. CERP through EvalPCA will address these themes in its ECD work, leveraging the GEI
network’s collective knowledge and by incorporating gender-responsive and environmental footprint
methodologies in diagnostics and training programs.
18. This grant is also well aligned with the Pakistan country strategy which highlights the importance of good
governance, accountability, and more effective public institutions. The forthcoming Country Partnership
Framework (CPF FY22-26) outlines five pillars, (i) Girls’ and boys’ learning; (ii) Growing healthy; (iii) Green and
Clean Pakistan; (iv) Growing Inclusively and; (v) Governance, that are aligned with the Government of
Pakistan’s priorities. EvalPCA’s work on strengthening national M&E systems will contribute directly to good
governance. Additionally, the center will work with the Planning Commission to strengthen M&E systems
within the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education.
II. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES
A. PDO
Note to Task Teams: The PDO has been pre-populated from the datasheet for the first time for your convenience.
Please keep it up to date whenever it is changed in the datasheet.
19. The project will improve monitoring and evaluation frameworks, capacity, and use in Pakistan and Central
Asia. In doing so, the project will seek to build partnerships with existing Evaluation Capacity Development
(ECD) providers to generate synergies.
20. This project aims to contribute to the higher-level development objective of the GEI, namely, to improve
monitoring and evaluation frameworks, capacity, and use in supported developing countries for improved
evidence-informed policy making.
B. Project Beneficiaries
21. Demand for evaluation services and products in Pakistan is growing. Strong M&E systems and capacities
ensure that governments and public officials can make decisions that are grounded in evidence of what works
and deliver better services for their constituencies. Moreover, at the individual level the demand for improved
capacity building services is increasing among professionals involved in evaluation processes as decisionmakers, sponsors, managers, and consultants – all of whom are critical stakeholders in the building of a robust
evaluation ecosystem in the region.
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22. CERP through EvalPCA will adopt a holistic approach and provide support to beneficiaries at three levels:
(a) Enabling Environment, where support focuses on strengthening the supportive legal, regulatory,
and institutional frameworks that promote a culture of evidence-use in decision-making and lead to
system wide impact.
(b) Organizational, where support is provided to build M&E capacities of institutions.
(c) Individual, which focuses on building the capacity of those whose knowledge, skills,
and competencies are essential to achieving any system-level impact of culture change.
23. The activities and work of CERP through EvalPCA will benefit a range of stakeholders including: (i) The
Executive branches (Ministries, Departments and Agencies, provincial governments) at national and subnational government levels; (ii) Voluntary Organizations for Professional Evaluations (VOPEs) and other
national evaluation associations; (iii) Parliaments, (iv) Higher Education Institutions (universities), and (v)
citizens of Pakistan who will benefit from evidence-based decision making, better governance, enhanced
accountability, and ultimately better development outcomes. CERP through EvalPCA will continue to work
with CLEAR SA on collaborated activities of interest and relevance.
24. Over time, CERP through EvalPCA aims to expand its support to select Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan & Tajikistan) via collaborative arrangements with local partners and institutions (such as CERP’s
existing MoU with University of Central Asia) to improve and strengthen host governments’ M&E capability.
25. Over the course of this grant, CERP will prioritize countries/regions, institutions, and individuals that are
most likely to have a systemic impact on the use of evidence in their respective institutions. The selection
of the specific activities to be delivered will be demand-driven and prioritized according to strategic client
selection criteria, including:
(a) Clients who are influencers and conveners of the M&E culture in their country/region.
(b) Clients who are likely to influence the use of evidence, learning culture, and/or decision-making
processes in their institutions.
(c) Clients who are likely to use evidence to create a culture of evidence-based decision making,
transparency and accountability in their regions.
(d) Clients who are likely to drive the M&E agenda in their regions.
(e) Clients whose work supports the achievement of the SDGs.
(f) Clients whose work supports underserved sectors, particularly health, education, and agriculture.
(g) Clients who are likely to influence national M&E systems and policies within their institutions.
(h) Clients who have the potential to join a regional cadre of emerging evaluators.
26. The project will engage regularly with the GEI Global Team and partners to identify shifts in the countries’
context and future opportunities for engagement in other countries.
C. PDO-Level Results Indicators
27. The proposed key PDO results indicators for this grant are:
(a) Number of policies, strategies, and/or plans supported by/contributed to by this grant
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(b) Percentage of participants that provide positive feedback on training relevance, quality and
knowledge acquired
(c) Expanded institutional, thematic, or geographic coverage through new or existing partnerships.
III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
A. Project Components
COMPONENT 1: Strengthening M&E Systems (at the enabling environment and organizational levels) in
Pakistan & Central Asia.
28. Activities under this component will focus on strengthening M&E systems and capacities along with building
strong partnerships with the Government of Pakistan at the federal and provincial level. Activities under
component 1 will include:
Pakistan:
(a) Country-level Needs Assessments using GEI’s Monitoring and Evaluation Situation Analysis (MESA).
This exercise will allow CERP through EvalPCA to better understand the demand for M&E, incentive
structures etc. within the socio-political and economic context in the country. The knowledge gained
through MESA will enable the center to design and develop strategies for engaging government
partners. Through the MESA tool, the center will also identify high-impact programs, departments,
and ministries that can be targeted for further technical assistance.
(b) Improving M&E Capacity at the Federal and/or Provincial Level: CERP through EvalPCA will conduct
an initial scoping exercise to gauge the demand within government institutions that want to
strengthen and improve their existing M&E systems. This includes the M&E Directorate of Punjab,
which is being led by the joint Director General of the Punjab Planning & Development Department
and the M&E Directorate. The M&E Directorate monitors the performance ministries (e.g., Health,
Education, Energy etc.) and is responsible for public policy development at provincial level. The M&E
Directorate expressed its strong commitment to using data and evidence to improve the impact of
policies and inform future investments. CERP is working on a long-term MoU to establish a
collaborative relationship with the M&E Directorate Punjab and then initiate a work program in two
phases:
(i) Phase 1: conducting in-depth Needs Assessment exercise to map existing gaps and weaknesses
within their M&E system and assess data health.
(ii) Phase 2: insights from the Needs Assessment exercise will be used to improve the institution’s
M&E system.
Simultaneously, CERP through EvalPCA will also work on designing data tools and dashboards to
address the key pain points for existing M&E systems identified in the Needs Assessment phase.
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(c) In the second and third year, CERP through EvalPCA will conduct a scoping exercise to identify
Ministries which fall under the jurisdiction of Planning Commission and are highly motivated to
achieve SDGs goals such as the Health Ministry (SDG 3, Good Health) Well-Being, and Education
Ministry ( SDG 4, Quality Education). CERP through EvalPCA will also continue to work with Federal
and/or Provincial level ministries and will expand its network further and engage additional provincial
level policymaking and implementing bodies such as the Planning Commission, Planning and
Development, Health, Education, and service delivery departments (including the Urban Unit, the
Punjab Monitoring and Implementation Unit among others) to help strengthen their capacity to
institute and use robust M&E systems. These departments have dedicated M&E units and routinely
collect administrative data for monitoring, although they do not have the capacity to use that same
data to evaluate impact of programs/policies. At this level, CERP through EvalPCA will conduct a
thorough needs assessments for those departments to determine the nature and scope of the
problem to address, the population segments it intends to reach, and the mechanisms through which
relevant SDG programs are addressing the problems. The Needs Assessment will directly inform the
design of the proposed M&E Framework and Data Tools for the Department as well as the customized
M&E training for their staff (as detailed in component 2 below).
Central Asian Region:
(d) Over the course of this grant, CERP through EvalPCA in collaboration with the University of Central
Asia (UCA), will identify and map demand for M&E capacity building in Central Asia. CERP through
EvalPCA will conduct an assessment to identify possible client countries and risks to be mitigated in.
Subsequently, CERP through EvalPCA will carry out a scoping exercise to populate the MESA
Diagnostic Tool and understand client countries’ planning, budget and M&E systems, monitoring &
reporting systems and evaluation systems. Through the MESA Tool CERP through EvalPCA will identify
departments and ministries that show a keen interest for M&E support.
COMPONENT 2: Building a critical mass of M&E professionals (of individuals and within organizations).
29. Activities under this component aim to create a culture of evidence use, and a cadre of evaluators, M&E
specialists, and other evaluation stakeholders in Pakistan. To achieve this, CERP through EvalPCA will deliver
open enrollment training workshops, tailored courses, advisory services, and programs for emerging
evaluators, among others. These trainings will target entry to mid-level M&E professionals in the public and
private sectors and will be offered on an on-going basis through the three years of the CERP grant. A subset
of trainings delivered under this component will be part of the broader package of technical assistance
delivered to a selected number of government departments and agencies and will be designed according to
the results of the needs assessments to be carried out over the course of this grant (3 years).
30. CERP through EvalPCA will offer three main types of training programs in Pakistan and the Central Asia
region: Open Enrollment programs, Customized M&E Trainings for partnered government institutions and
departments, for whom Needs Assessment has been conducted, and Building Capacity to Use Research
Evidence (BCURE) Trainings:
(a) Open enrollment Trainings:
(i) Evidence Based Program Design (EBPD) course. CERP’s flagship course will be offered every year
as an open enrollment program to attract policy actors from various institutions and ministries as
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well as civil servants, representatives from multilateral donor organizations and NGOs,
researchers and economists. The objective of this course is to help the audience understand and
implement the salience of using evidence for smart policy design. The training has a strong focus
on teaching participants how to identify a policy problem, create a theory of change, and design
a program to address it. It focuses on all aspects of M&E from data collection, designing an
evaluation framework, creating relevant indicators, and measuring impact. This course focuses on
key concepts of dynamic program design and measuring causal impact, using lectures, localized
case studies, simulations, and group work.
(ii) Online Monitoring and Evaluation Boot Camp. This BootCamp Certification comprises three indepth courses, which will be offered every year to build capacity of entry to mid-level government
officials, researchers, and aspiring M&E experts. The Boot Camp will comprise of:
a. A course focused on broader M&E themes such as program design, theory of change,
evaluation methodologies, sampling design and data collection, and adaptive M&E
systems.
b. A course on Quantitative & Qualitative Research Methodologies that offer participants
hands-on training using STATA software to clean, code and analyze data from surveys,
focus groups, interviews etc.
c. A Project Management course to conclude the Boot Camp that focuses on practical skills
such as developing timelines and work plans, financial management, budgeting, and
negotiation skills.
All three courses will use case studies, polls/quizzes, and interactive group activities for an immersive
learning experience.
(b) Customized Trainings:
(i) Insights from the Needs Assessment Phase (mentioned above in BL-1) will be used in conjunction
with the results from focus groups with relevant stakeholders’ group discussions to design a
customized M&E training for a selected set of departments. Training will use case studies, group
work, and simulations to match the M&E capacity needs of the partner institution and will include
a customized Results Based Policy Design (RBPD) training to provide participants with tools &
knowledge to conduct impact evaluations within the government sector. This course will use
localized case studies and practical examples to ensure that participants can learn skills that are
easily adaptable to their specific contexts.
Additionally, a customized M&E workshop will also be offered to:
(ii) target strategic government partners and civil servants working towards the goal of strengthening
national level institutions (SDG 16); and
(iii) provide support to governments to bolster the mechanisms of implementing policies to achieve
UN SDG goals (SDG 17).
These M&E workshops will tailor content to the challenges and constraints faced by participating
government agencies .
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(c) Building Capacity to Use Research and Evidence (BCURE): BCURE workshops in collaboration with
Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD) at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government (HKS) will be
conducted every year under the long-term MoU signed with the National School of Public Policy and
Pakistan Civil Services Academy and Training Management & Research (TMR) Wing Sindh
Government. The workshop is designed for civil servants from different levels and combines virtual
modules and in-person sessions. CERP through EvalPCA plans to expand the scope of the training in
later years to include the Institute for Parliamentary Services, Management Professional Development
Department, and other agencies based on demand.
COMPONENT 3: Contributing to the availability and use of knowledge on M&E and capacity building for M&E
31. Activities under this component will focus on capturing and curating M&E knowledge generated from
EvalPCA’s ECD activities. Outputs of component 3 will include:
(a) Publications: CERP through EvalPCA will develop lessons learned papers through a collaborative
process with their key government partners throughout Pakistan. The center will focus on developing
knowledge products that translate research into concrete and actionable suggestions for
policymakers.
(b) Knowledge sharing events: The center will host workshops and roundtable series to share knowledge
generated by CERP through EvalPCA, promote best practices, and facilitate networking among M&E
stakeholders in Pakistan and Central Asia.
(c) Convening gLOCAL events: CERP has participated in gLOCAL Evaluation Week since 2019 and will take
an active role in convening gLOCAL in Pakistan by hosting its own knowledge sharing events and
connecting with key partners in the country to encourage them to participate in gLOCAL. CERP
through EvalPCA will also promote gLOCAL within its networks and through other platforms (such as
social media) to strengthen the knowledge sharing initiative’s reach within Pakistan. CERP through
EvalPCA will also explore the potential of collaboration with CLEAR South Asia, to create synergies
within knowledge production and dissemination on platforms such as gLOCAL.
32. CERP through EvalPCA will leverage the UCA network in Central Asia (e.g., the Institute of Public Policy and
their Civil Society Initiative) to work on publications that showcase how reliable evidence can be effectively
used to inform policy in the region. To that effect, CERP through EvalPCA will convene a regional conference
to discuss key challenges and opportunities in the region involving relevant policy makers researchers,
academics and other stakeholders to explore possibilities of collaboration between the countries e.g. student
exchange programs, exports of goods and service utilizing the evidence produced by academia.
33. EvalPCA will also build on CERP’s existing partnership with the China Prosperity Fund for Energy and Low
Carbon Economy Program (CELCEP) and Her Majesty’s (HM) British Government. This collaboration will focus
on creating awareness through knowledge production & capacity building for Pakistan’s energy sector (policy
makers, investors, critical decision makers) to use and benefit from an online open-source tool which can
enable them to:
(a) assess the impacts of current and planned projects on the local/global environment and sustainable
development.
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(b) assess the stranded asset risks of current/planned projects to investors and communities driven by
physical and transition risks related to environmental change.
COMPONENT 4: Establishing EvalPCA as an dedicated technical program
34. Component 4 will support the establishment of CERP through EvalPCA as an independent GEI Affiliate
Program. This component will ensure that EvalPCA is set up, staffed and has adequate management and
administrative capacity. EvalPCA aims to increase its visibility in Pakistan and the region through improved
networks and communications. Under this grant, CERP through EvalPCA will:
(a) Set up a EvalPCA office including venue set up, recruitment of staff, procurement of equipment such
as laptops, mobile broadband wireless internet devices, official cell phones, printer, and office
furniture (table, chair, filing cabinet).
(b) Build internal staff capacity on project management, financial management, procurement, and other
professional capacities such as research skills , M&E, negotiation, and other soft skills.
(c) Budgeting of domestic and international travel costs by air and road including accommodation, visa
processing fees (if required), and traveling allowance and dearness allowance(TA DA) for business
development activities for future local and international collaborations.
(d) Systematically collect and report information on EvalPCA operations and generate quarterly
monitoring data and annual reports for GEI.
(e) Conduct tracer and follow-up surveys to track learning outcomes and longer-term impacts for EvalPCA
clients.
35. CERP through EvalPCA will report implementation progress and results through GEI’s management
information system (MIS), aligning its reporting with the GEI M&E framework. The GEI MIS supplements the
standard reporting arrangements of the WBG with a custom-designed tool to ensure proper financial
management of all GEI grants and associated activities, and track implementation progress in real time,
including data on expenditures, revenues, as well as the nature of interventions, clients, rationale for
subsidies, pricing, and expected and actual results. Reporting through the GEI MIS increases transparency of
the work of EvalPCA and enables the identification of potential implementation challenges and just in time
course correction of activities if needed.
B. Project Cost and Financing
Project Components
Project cost
Trust Funds
USD 1,360,000
USD 750,000
Total Project Costs
USD 1,360,000
USD 750,000
Total Financing Required
USD 610,000
Total Costs
Counterpart Funding
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IV. IMPLEMENTATION
A. Institutional and Implementation Arrangements
36. CERP will be the sole recipient and implementing entity for the project. There will not be any subimplementing agencies. EvalPCA will be a project implemented by CERP. EvalPCA is not a legal entity according
to Pakistani law and will be treated as a separate cost center within the CERP’s accounting framework.
EvalPCA’s strategy will be approved by CERP’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
37. CERP is an entity with separate legal status with powers to enter into contracts with international
organizations. CERP was competitively selected by a group of donors and the World Bank to implement the
GEI Strategy in Pakistan and gradually expand its coverage to the Central Asian region. The Center will be
governed by the rules and regulations of CERP as well as applicable World Bank’s rules and regulations.
38. CERP will bear the responsibility for financial reporting and oversight over the implementation of this grant
and EvalPCA will be responsible for technical aspects of the project. Responsibility for fiduciary and legal
issues related to this grant will continue to be borne by CERP. Staff and consultants will be procured following
CERP and World Bank policies and procedures. CERP will maintain a dedicated segregated account specific to
this grant to facilitate financial reporting to the Bank. Audits of CERP accounts will be carried out annually.
39. CERP will set up a dedicated technical team and office for the implementation of the EvalPCA project. The
team’s technical expertise will comprise public sector governance and M&E; M&E capacity building;
evaluations systems monitoring; monitoring, evaluation, research and learning (MERL); M&E results
frameworks; and marketing and communications. Initially, an EvalPCA Director will be seconded from CERP
to manage EvalPCA. The director will be supported by a Policy & Administrative Manager (exact title may vary)
and a Capacity Building-Operations Associate. During the first year the team will focus on business
development and relationship-building. EvalPCA Director will be cost-shared on a 70:30 basis between
EvalPCA and CERP, whereas the Policy & Administrative Manager, and Capacity Building-Operations Associate
will be dedicated resources fully covered by the grant. Over time, as EvalPCA’s portfolio expands, the 70:30
cost sharing ratio for the EvalPCA Director will also be adjusted to reflect more time investment from CERP to
EvalPCA’s programs. Additional human resources may be recruited in the course of project implementation
as needed. This grant will finance center activities, personnel, operating costs, and costs associated with basic
goods needed to make the center operational.
40. Implementing arrangements to address environmental and social issues are illustrated in the specific
section dedicated to Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) implementation in this document.
B. Results Monitoring and Evaluation
41. Underlying Theory of Change informing this project. The proposed project is predicated on a Theory of
Change that links EvalPCA inputs to results at the “ecosystem” level in client countries. Working with different
stakeholders through training, technical assistance, knowledge production and sharing, EvalPCA helps to
identify and address key gaps in M&E systems on the one hand and find opportunities to strengthen them.
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With its product menu offerings, CERP through EvalPCA is expected to address M&E needs at local, national,
and regional levels in Pakistan and the Central Asian region in a way that contributes to better data, improved
knowledge, practices, and behaviors, and ultimately improved use of evidence in decision-making.
Partnerships are a critical ingredient to achieve expected results at all levels.
42. The monitoring and evaluation of EvalPCA’s activities and results will be conducted as follows:
(a) Reporting on activities and immediate results: In addition to the grant standard requirements and
conditions, CERP through EvalPCA will collect, document, and share systematic information on its
activities. This will include:
(i) Ongoing monitoring at the ‘activity’ level through the GEI MIS – including main objective, type of
activity, target audience, dates, duration, implementing partners, and other descriptive
parameters as agreed through the MIS.
(ii) Feedback on trainings and workshops collected through post-training participant surveys,
including parameters on quality, usefulness and increase in knowledge and/or skills collected
through standardized feedback forms, and instructor feedback sessions.
(b) Measuring outcomes and using evidence to make program decisions: To track outcome level results
and impact of the trainings, as well as make informed changes in the program’s content and delivery,
CERP through EvalPCA will:
(i) Use tracer studies and systematically collate and aggregate feedback survey results to distill and
incorporate lessons on pertinent issues such as workshop pedagogy, content, and more into
program decision making.
(ii) Aggregate and report the results of EvalPCA’s activities through the GEI MIS.
43. Throughout the project implementation, CERP through EvalPCA will ensure that its internal M&E activities
align with the overall GEI M&E Framework and provide data through the GEI MIS.
C. Sustainability
44. As part of its sustainability model, CERP responds to country demands through a range of partners, in a
phased approach. An initial phase of engagement and exploration usually follows a direct or referred request
for technical advisory services, workshops, or training, which are subsequently evaluated by the CERP CEO.
When the potential for longer term engagement is confirmed, CERP follows a structured process which, if the
country-conditions are conducive (see below for criteria) should result in formalized longer-term
partnerships/agreements with key national & sub-national institutions:
(a) The project will undertake a diagnostic to identify key partners on the demand side (particularly in the
center of government) and further entry points in supply, which help build upon the existing capacities
of local clients.
(b) The project connects to suitable entry points within government demand and works with the local
partners/institutions and civil society organizations to adaptively connect to supply.
(c) The project together with partners/institutions implements a focused local program of activities based
on country-led demands to strengthen supply.
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V. KEY RISKS
A. Overall Risk Rating and Explanation of Key Risks
45. Overall risks for this project are low. Activities financed are limited to training, knowledge generation and
sharing.
VI. APPRAISAL SUMMARY
Note to Task Teams: Please provide a summary description of the main economic benefits and costs of the project,
and a summary of the key FM, procurement and safeguard issues.
46. A Financial Management (FM) capacity assessment of the “Recipient” of the Bank grant, the “Centre for
Economic Research and Policy (CERP) in Pakistan”, a Not For Profit Organization formed under section 42
of Companies Ordinance 1984 (Now Companies Act 2017 of Pakistan), was carried out as required under
the Financial Management (FM) Manual for World Bank Investment Project Financing (IPF) Operations,
February 2017, and the Guidance Note on Small Recipient - Executed Trust Fund (RETF) Grants, October
2017. CERP is also the Implementing Entity for the Bank grant and is responsible for monitoring, financial
reporting and oversight over the Bank grant funds. The objective of the FM assessment was to review the
financial management, reporting and oversight arrangements of the CERP, and assess if they meet the
minimum acceptable requirements of financial management and oversight arrangements as per the IPF FM
Manual and the Small RETF Grants Guidance Note. Legal have confirmed that “CERP Pakistan” is an entity
with a separate legal status and with power to enter into contracts with international organizations, and is
eligible to receive Bank financing.
47. The FM capacity assessment of “CERP” (the Recipient) was conducted based on the completed FM
assessment questionnaire submitted by them. The assessment covered the areas of budgeting, staffing,
accounting, financial reporting, funds flow, accountability, internal control and oversight and external audit
arrangements. The overall FM risk at project preparation is assessed as “Moderate”. The FM risk will be
evaluated during project implementation and the risk rating will be adjusted accordingly.
48. As per the project institutional and implementation arrangements described in section IV (A) of this
document, CERP will be the Recipient and the sole implementing entity for the project and there will not
be any sub – implementing entities. CERP will bear responsibility for the financial reporting and oversight
over the implementation of this grant, as well as all fiduciary matters.
49. Fund Flow and financial reporting – CERP will open a segregated Designated Account (DA) in USD in a
commercial bank under terms and conditions acceptable to the World Bank, to receive the grant funds for
implementing the agreed activities and to incur expenditure. They will also get their Annual Work Program
and Budget (AWPB) for the Bank project approved by the Bank before the commencement of their fiscal year.
CERP will also prepare and send to the Bank six – monthly Interim Financial Reports (IFR), within 45 days after
the end of each semester, in the agreed IFR format. The IFRs will reflect the “actual expenditures” incurred
on the various components and activities during the reporting period.
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50. Disbursement and eligible expenditures: Funds will be disbursed either as reimbursement of expenditure
incurred or on an advance basis (if requested). Disbursement will be based on the six – monthly IFRs that will
report on the actual expenditure incurred on various agreed project activities, and the forecast for the next 6
months. An initial advance, typically to cover first 4-6 months of forecasted expenditure for the agreed
activities, can be provided to CERP to commence the project activities. The subsequent advances will be
provided based on the actual expenditure reported in the IFR during the semester and the funds required for
the next 6 months (after netting off the unspent balances from the previous advance). Expenditure categories
under the project are Goods, Training, Operating Costs, Consulting and non – consulting Services. The specific
items of expenditure eligible for financing under the Operating Costs category will be defined in the Grant
Agreement.
51. External Audit and Compliance: The Bank Grant to CERP will be annually audited by an external auditor
acceptable to the Bank and under Terms of Reference agreed in advance with the Bank. The auditor will verify
that the grant funds have been expended in line with the provisions of the Grant Agreement and the financial
management requirements of the Bank and provide a Management Letter highlighting the significant findings
of the audit. If at some point during implementation, there any sub-grantees or partner institutions that will
receive funds from the recipient to implement some project subcomponents/activities, the audit will cover
this expenditure too. The Audit Report and the Management letter will be submitted to the Bank no later
than six months after the end of the Recipient’s fiscal year. CERP will also share their annual entity audit
report with the Bank. CERP will fully comply with the WB public disclosure policy of audit reports once they
are accepted by the Bank.
52. Supervision strategy: The Bank will review the implementation of FM arrangements and FM performance,
identify corrective actions if necessary, and monitor the fiduciary risk. The basis of FM supervision will be
mostly by desk review with one formal annual supervision mission, subject to Covid – 19 protocols.
53. Procurement activities will be carried out in accordance with the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations
for Borrowers under Investment Policy Financing (Fourth Edition, November 2020) (“Procurement
Regulations”), the ‘Guidelines on Preventing and Combating Fraud and Corruption in Projects Financed by
IBRD Loans and IDA Credits and Grants’ revised as of July 1, 2016; and the provisions stipulated in the
Procurement Plan for the entire project life, approved on June 2, 2022. The Procurement Plan will be updated
at least annually or as required to reflect the actual Project implementation needs.
54. Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan (CERP) will be responsible for all procurement and contracting
related queries and processing, including management and compliance with fiduciary requirements. A
procurement capacity assessment was carried out. The CERP is staffed with 1 fiduciary staff without
knowledge of the Bank’s regulations for the selection of consultants but with a suitable experience on contract
management.
55. In accordance with the Regulations, a short form Project Procurement Strategy for Development (PPSD) has
been prepared by the CERP with the support from the Bank’s team, for the purpose of identifying the most
appropriate procurement approach for the project. As this project will be composed of only consulting
services without major risks identified, as the estimated amounts of all contracts to be financed are small, the
procurement risk is considered moderate.
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Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
56. It is also to be noted that the CERP has recruited several individual consultants before signing the Legal
Agreement. These contracts have been reviewed during the preparation phase of the project and the applied
procurement processes were found compliant with the Bank’s Procurement Regulations. However, it was
recalled that the CERP undertook such advance procurement at its own risk, and any concurrence by the Bank
on the procedures, documentation, or proposal for award of contract, does not commit the Bank to finance
the project in question. Reimbursement by the Bank of any payments made by the CERP under the contract
prior to signing the Legal Agreement is referred to as retroactive financing and is only permitted within the
limits specified in the Legal Agreement.
A.. Legal Operational Policies
.
Triggered?
Projects on International Waterways OP 7.50
No
Projects in Disputed Areas OP 7.60
No
.
B. Environmental and Social
Note to Task Teams: This summary section is downloaded from the PAD data sheet and is editable. It should match
the text provided by E&S specialist. If it is revised after the initial download the task team must manually update the
summary in this section. Please delete this note when finalizing the document.
57. This Technical Assistance (TA) project focuses on capacity building in monitoring and evaluation. The project
activities are limited to conducting diagnostic, analytical and research work, advisory support in the design and
development of M&E curriculum and training materials, delivery of training to institutions and professional
individuals, technical advisory support in M&E system development and strengthening, production of knowledge
products, assistance in knowledge sharing and dissemination, as well as the organization of learning workshops and
events. The grant will not support any activity related to the construction or redevelopment of infrastructure.
58. No environmental risk or potential impacts are expected on the biophysical environment, human health and safety,
and/or valued environmental components from the project activities. The environmental risk from the grant
activities is expected to be low. Similarly, the project activities are not expected to incur significant adverse social
impacts and risks. Nevertheless, there could be risks associated with labor and sexual harassment and discrimination
among the project delivery team and TA beneficiaries as a result of people’s interactions in an office environment.
The risks will be reduced by the current COVID-19 context and are considered low, as interactions are anticipated to
remain largely virtual for at least the initial phase of the grant’s implementation period. Key stakeholders involved
here include CERP staff, potential partner organizations in Pakistan and central Asian countries, the trainers of virtual
and possible future on-site workshops, as well as the potential beneficiary participants. Stakeholder risks are
considered low. The project institutions have already in place policy, procedure, and management mechanisms in
handling social risks as identified under this project.
59. The center will continue to promote gender responsiveness and social inclusion considerations in its M&E
diagnostics, training, and services. The project will give priority consideration in their beneficiary selection to those
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The World Bank
Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
who represent underserved demographics, geographies, and sectors, including vulnerable, disadvantaged and
indigenous groups. The project will ensure broad information dissemination of its TA activities and engagement to
facilitate broad participation of potential beneficiaries, particularly the marginalized groups, NGOs and other
institutions who may represent vulnerable segments of society for maximum project development benefits.
VII.
World Bank Grievance Redress
Note to Task Teams: Inclusion of the following text is mandatory. No additional text should be added in this section.
.
Grievance Redress. Communities and individuals who believe that they are adversely affected by a project supported
by the World Bank may submit complaints to existing project-level grievance mechanisms or the Bank’s Grievance
Redress Service (GRS). The GRS ensures that complaints received are promptly reviewed in order to address projectrelated concerns. Project affected communities and individuals may submit their complaint to the Bank’s independent
Accountability Mechanism (AM). The AM houses the Inspection Panel, which determines whether harm occurred, or
could occur, as a result of Bank non-compliance with its policies and procedures, and the Dispute Resolution Service,
which provides communities and borrowers with the opportunity to address complaints through dispute resolution.
Complaints may be submitted to the AM at any time after concerns have been brought directly to the attention of
Bank Management and after Management has been given an opportunity to respond. For information on how to
submit complaints to the Bank’s Grievance Redress Service (GRS), please visit http://www.worldbank.org/GRS. For
information on how to submit complaints to the Bank’s Accountability Mechanism, please visit
https://accountability.worldbank.org.
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The World Bank
Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
VII. RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND MONITORING
Note to Task Teams: The following sections are system generated and can only be edited online in the Portal.
Results Framework
COUNTRY : World
Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia
Project Development Objectives
The project will improve monitoring and evaluation frameworks, capacity, and use in Pakistan and Central Asia. In doing so, the project will seek to build
partnerships with existing Evaluation Capacity Development (ECD) providers to generate synergies.
This project aims to contribute to the higher-level development of the objective of the GEI, namely, to improve monitoring and evaluation frameworks,
capacity, and use in supported developing countries for improved evidence-informed policy making.
Project Development Objective Indicators
Indicator Name
Name: Number of
policies, strategies,
and/or plans supported
by/contributed to by this
grant
Corporate
Unit of
Baseline
Measure
End Target
Frequency
Number
3.00
Annually
0.00
Data Source /
Methodology
Responsibility for
Data Collection
Presence of Draft Policies,
Strategies, and or
Plans/Papers.
EvalPCA
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The World Bank
Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
Indicator Name
Corporate
Unit of
Baseline
Measure
End Target
Frequency
Data Source /
Methodology
Responsibility for
Data Collection
Monitoring tool used
by EvalPCA
EvalPCA
Description: This indicator measures the number of policies; strategies, and or plans supported by the grants.
Name: Percentage of
participants that provide
positive feedback on
training relevance, quality
and knowledge acquired
Percentag 70.00
e
75.00
Measured by the end of
training courses or
workshops and reported
every 6 months.
Description: This indicator measures the proportion of participants providing positive feedback on training relevance, quality and knowledge.
Name: Expanded
institutional, thematic, or
geographic coverage
through new or existing
partnerships
Number
0.00
6.00
Annually
MOUs, Events, Program
Cooperation
Agreement(s), Long Term
Agreement (LTA).
EvalPCA
Description: This indicator allows us to assess if the work of the centers has increased the number of client countries, or clients within client countries, or the areas of
work they are engaging in (e.g. gender, CC, youth, FCV issues).
Intermediate Results Indicators
Indicator Name
Name: Number of
technical outputs
produced for partners
and clients by
Corporate
Unit of
Measur
e
Baseline
End Target
Frequency
Number
0.00
2.00
Annually
Data Source /
Methodology
Responsibility for
Data Collection
Presence of draft and
finalized outs (plans,
policies, manuals and
agendas).
EvalPCA
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The World Bank
Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
Indicator Name
Corporate
Unit of
Measur
e
Baseline
End Target
Frequency
Data Source /
Methodology
Responsibility for
Data Collection
Monitoring tool, Training &
Workshop Reports.
EvalPCA
EvalPCA(e.g. plans, policy
statements, briefing
notes, manuals, and
agendas or other
operational documents)
Description: This indicator measures the number of technical outputs produced for partners by EvalPCA.
Name: Number of
requests for further
engagement [e.g.
trainings, advisory,
workshops etc.] received
by EvalPCA as a result of
activities carried out in
Pakistan.
Amount(
USD)
0.00
6.00
Bi-Annually (ever six
months)
Description: This indicator measures number of requests for training and workshops made by stakeholders in countries where EvalPCA works.
Name: Number of
individuals attending
knowledge sharing
events (disaggregated by
gender/country/region)
Number
0.00
250.00
Annually
Attendance registries.
EvalPCA
Description: This indicator measures the number of individuals who attended knowledge sharing events by disaggregated by gender, country and region.
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The World Bank
Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building in Pakistan and Central Asia (P178041)
Target Values
Project Development Objective Indicators FY
RESULT_FRAME_T BL_ PD O
Indicator Name
Baseline
End Target
Number of policies, strategies, and/or plans supported by/contributed to by this grant
0.00
3.00
Percentage of participants that provide positive feedback on training relevance, quality
70.00
and knowledge acquired
75.00
Expanded institutional, thematic, or geographic coverage through new or existing
partnerships
6.00
0.00
Intermediate Results Indicators FY
RESULT_FRAME_T BL_ IO
Indicator Name
End Target
Number of technical outputs produced for partners and clients by EvalPCA(e.g. plans, policy
statements, briefing notes, manuals, and agendas or other operational documents)
2.00
Number of requests for further engagement [e.g. trainings, advisory, workshops etc.] received
6.00
by EvalPCA as a result of activities carried out in Pakistan.
Number of individuals attending knowledge sharing events (disaggregated by
gender/country/region)
250.00
Note to Task Teams: End of system generated content, document is editable from here.
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